Saint John officials and local stakeholders are moving to craft a new long-range strategy for the city’s waterfront that aims to turn the area into a primary engine for economic growth and tourism.
Partners seek consultant to map a long-term vision
Envision Saint John, in collaboration with the City of Saint John, Port Saint John and the development company Fundy Harbour Group, published a tender last week inviting proposals from consultants to design a comprehensive waterfront plan. The document asks for expertise spanning waterfront development, economic development, investment structuring, tourism strategy and community planning.
According to the tender, the chosen consultant is expected to deliver a plan that is "strategic, financially grounded, and action-oriented," and that will guide decision-making on the waterfront up to the year 2050. Project goals noted in the call for proposals include accelerating economic development, attracting investment, enhancing tourism and visitor experience, identifying opportunity sites, and leveraging the city’s arts and cultural assets and events.
“We are looking for a long-term plan, yes. But we wanted it to be very action oriented,”
The comment came from the CEO of Envision Saint John, who said the effort is intended to identify near-term steps that can be implemented quickly as well as incremental moves to build out the waterfront over the longer term.
Momentum meets a need for updated strategy
The move to commission a new strategic plan comes as work on the waterfront has accelerated in recent years. The first phase of the Fundy Quay development is nearing completion, signalling progress on physical redevelopment, but partners say it has been years since the waterfront benefitted from a coordinated, up-to-date strategic framework.
Project leaders say the tender reflects a desire to capitalise on recent investments while ensuring future development is cohesive, financially viable and sensitive to community needs and attractions that already draw residents and visitors to the harbour.
What the plan will aim to deliver
- Short-term, actionable recommendations to improve visitor engagement and make immediate changes.
- A longer-term roadmap that identifies opportunity sites and outlines investment structures through 2050.
- Strategies to integrate arts, culture and events into economic and tourism objectives.
Envision Saint John’s chief executive emphasised the dual focus: creating a vision that looks decades ahead while also prescribing concrete next steps that can be taken "right away".
| Focus area | Intent |
|---|---|
| Economic development | Accelerate investment, identify development sites |
| Tourism & visitor experience | Enhance attractions and engagement |
| Community & culture | Leverage arts, events and public spaces |
Local implications
For residents, the plan could influence the character of the waterfront for decades — affecting public access, job creation, business opportunities and the kinds of events and attractions available downtown. For developers and investors, the study will outline market-driven possibilities and likely signal where future private and public investments could be concentrated.
For municipal planners and Port Saint John officials, a coordinated strategic plan offers a tool to align infrastructure, zoning and public-space decisions with broader economic and tourism objectives.
While details such as timeline for selecting a consultant, project budget or specific funding sources were not disclosed in the tender summary, the issuing organisations are seeking a professional team capable of translating community and market needs into a financially credible implementation plan.
As the Fundy Quay project advances and other activity continues along the harbour, partners say the time is right to ensure momentum is channelled into a coherent, sustainable vision that benefits residents and visitors alike.
